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This time of year is what some of you like to call November, some Movember, but I like to call it Mope-ember because many of us are stuck moping around in gloomy weather and an even gloomier mood. Well Halloween may be over, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve as to how to get rid of bleakness in the saddest months of the year. Four of the modalities I use in my practice with clients to help combat fall blues are: Massage, Acupressure / Trigger Point Therapy, Energy Healing and Chakra Balancing and Emotional Freedom Technique.

Well this may seem like a strange combination, they actually work quite well, either as separate modalities or combined as part of a comprehensive therapy treatment to send you into a more positive state of Body, Mind and Spirit.

While Massage is the most self-explanatory, what some people don’t realize is that not only does it get rid of aches, pains, tension and stress, it is also excellent therapy for circulation and mood boosting as the body’s supine (face up position) and prone (face down position) as well as the stimulative body strokes both deep and more surface (lymphatic drainage) helps encourages blood flow and oxygenation of the entire body including the brain and helps get rid of toxins that may actually be making us feel bad as well as invigorate all the organ systems to function optimally. As well, you just can’t beat human touch as a mood booster.

The second modality, Acupressure / Trigger Point Therapy is similar to Acupuncture but there are no needles involved so it is far less invasive. In fact it can be quit gentle and often first-timers won’t even know it’s happening except that they’ll feel different parts of their body releasing or they’ll just start to feel overly relaxed and may even fall asleep. For others more sensitive to it, it’s sometimes feels like pressure being put on a point and because your Acupressure points lay on Meridens along the body – streams of energy that connect the organ systems together much like your circulatory or nervous system except they are invisible to the scientific camera, those points can be more tender to the touch. The points are only held for one to two minutes each and often in combinations. What’s kind of neat is that you can actually feel the points go from being blocked (hey we all hold tension in the shoulders!) to sinking in and releasing. Many clients go away wondering why they’ve never heard of this before! Anyhow, along with many, many ways Acupressure can be used, including pain and tension relief and acute and chronic conditions, it can also be used to boost your immune system and rid you of anxiety and stress, replacing it with a sense of well-being.

Energy Healing and Chakra Balancing is the third type of modality that really helps with feeling down in the dumps. What better way to feel fully yourself than to balance your Yin and Yang (the feminine and the masculine), align and re-instate proper functioning to your Chakras, get your Kundalini pumping and be worked on through your uplifting Higher or Soul Self and the Angelic Realm? Not to mention expanding, correcting and protecting your Aura from all sorts of imbalances and other negative energies including human energy vampires (you know those people who you can’t be around for more than 10 minutes before you start feeling like they are draining your energy). Energy Healing and Chakra Balancing includes a wide range of session types, but basically it comes down to setting your intention, getting in touch with your own intuition, asking Mother Earth and Father Sun/Universe/God to help ground, center, balance, heal and bring you energy and well-being. Whether or not you believe in Reiki, Healing Touch or any other forms of Energy Medicine, doesn’t really matter. What’s important is how you feel afterwards. Some people can actually feel sensations, energy movement, fluttering, colours, memory flashes, visions, etc., others just have a sense of connection and well-being. The nice thing about energy medicine is that it is all about raising your vibrational level and balancing your body, mind and spirit.It can be done here in my office, or via distance while you’re relaxed at home in your own bed (or chair).

And the fourth modality that I use on clients especially around this time of the year is Emotional Freedom Technique or more commonly known as Tapping, ADMR or Energy Psychology, is a way to tap into anything that causes you stress or anxiety or any number of emotions or physical pains or issues and neutralize the pain/emotions attached to them. Either sitting upright or laying down, whichever you feel most comfortable with, this therapy is more than just seeing a therapist/counsellor – it uses gentle guidance where you can talk about what’s bothering you or just think about it internally if you prefer to keep it private (it works just as effectively), and then using tapping on specific acupressure or trigger points along the body to neutralize it. Once neutralized (it sends a chemical message to your brain/body) then affirmations can be brought in to reinforce a positive reaction that truly resonate with you on a subconscious level.

You can use if for anything from general stress to a specific issue that keeps coming up that you can’t seem to get rid of. For example if you notice, or if other people tell you, that you over-react or that you get angry each time something happens… or let’s say you had a traumatic experience and every time something reminds you of that you automatically get panicky. Or you feel wounded when people don’t listen to you… etc. It works on physical pain too. You can also use it to get in touch with your higher self or deeper intuition or even to re-enforce positive action (ie to sell more product or services or to increase your performance. These are just some examples of common issues EFT can help you with. It is actually a fantastic therapy because it works on both acute (recent) and chronic (long term) issues and it lets you be in charge to say as little or as much about a subject as you like…

EFT is similar to the onion effect, by starting to peel back one layer at a time we can start by what’s bothering you today and work back towards the root cause that may have taken place in your childhood or even before. Like with Energy Healing/Chakra Balancing, EFT can be done here in the office or via distance while lying or sitting comfortably at home. The only difference is that at home you’d do the tapping while I would do the energy work.

Hope this gives you some good ideas to combat those Mope-ember moods. For more info or if you’d like a gift card to give to someone special this Christmas, don’t hesitate to contact me via call or text: 250-203-1669 or just fill in our Contact Me box and your message will be sent! If you’d like to book directly online, here’s the Book Online Calendar.

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A new beginning

Welcome to 2015… I want to wish you all a Happy New Year, but before I go on about wishing you all the best in love, happiness and radiant health, I have to back track a year or so. A friend of mine, a beautiful, young, vibrant woman who is both caring and nurturing, has inspired me to write about suicide. Not exactly the cheerful topic you’d think of discussing at the beginning of a new year, but nevertheless essential for this new beginning. It’s not she, but so many others surrounding her that are dropping like flies, despite her cry that “I want to help you”. Personally, suicide has hit home for me and my family this year, maybe you know someone as well. For us it’s been two young boys, separate incidents; one was 16, a close friend of my middle son’s, the other 18, a friend and mentor for my older son. It’s not just these two young people I’m writing about, or the ones that my friend, my sister in healing, has had to deal with. It just seems to be happening more and more, especially among young people in our community.

Depression is a lonely thing

How can you let yourself feel so alone that you don’t even try to reach out to anybody? Depression is a lonely thing; you perceive that no one cares, that there’s no way out, or that things will never change. You can feel so down on yourself that you feel useless to the point where you start apologizing to people for your existence. But to end it all so finally? To go ahead with such a violent, permanent act? Why? Don’t you know that someone cares? Don’t you know that so many more care than you can even imagine? You are a life force put on Earth for a purpose. Yes, life can sock it to you one punch after another until you just can’t breathe anymore. Beyond heart-broken you feel just plain broken: empty, dull, life-less. Being so overwhelmed and not knowing where to go or who to reach out to can seem harder to deal with then just ending it. But life is worth living. We are meant to be here to learn and grow. We simply can’t go on to the next level of existence without the growth that occurs from our experiences here on Earth.

Our ultimate goal is to come back into harmony and balance

We are all in this together, not as people helping people, but as one person, one universe, one cell. This connection should be known because it is real and does exist. Ask any scientist, we are all made up of energy that only appears to be separated. What one does affects us all for better or for worse. Just to understand what a privilege it is to be here should be enough for us to cherish our lives and work through the darkness until it becomes total lightness. While it may be true that there can be no light without dark, no love without pain, no joy without sorrow, I do believe that our ultimate goal, our natural instinct is to always come back into harmony and balance, to LOVE and be LOVED.If we can’t feel loved it’s because we have a blockage somewhere. It could be something that happened in our past, a traumatic event or series of events, big or small, which happened once or repeatedly, that made us feel scared, frightened, ashamed, rejected, belittled, different, unworthy or just plain overwhelmed. It’s usually something we have totally forgotten about, but it always remains stored as an emotional and physical reaction in our bodies waiting to be triggered. The trigger itself can be big or small, something in our current daily lives that is usually only marked by a vague feeling of uneasiness or annoyance or as big a reaction as fear or panic. We are almost never aware that it’s a trigger from something in our past. For example it could be as simple as someone being late, the smell of something in the air, or the way a spouse reacts when we say something to them. We don’t know why we are so reactive, but we are. And as much as we think we’ve matured, it doesn’t go away as we age until it’s actually released from the body. For more on this go to Emotional Support and Healing.

You are truly loved no matter what you think

As for the young people who decided to go through with suicide this year, it’s a crying shame. It pains me to see that someone so young could not find another way out or could not ask friends when help was needed. It was a rude awakening for the whole community, but especially the youth that were closest. Yes it is a lesson, and as mentioned before we are put on Earth to grow from our lessons, but they are the ones who have now lost their innocence, who must grow up ahead of their natural cycle and face the harsh side of reality. If there is one message I truly want to share, it is that life is so precious and you are truly loved, no matter what you think. There is always, always, always someone you can talk to or simply be with, even if it’s just to get through that one moment when you feel like you’re at the bottom of the pit. But people are not mind readers and are usually so immersed in their own lives that they don’t clue in. You need to be able to say “Hey, would you mind, I really need someone to talk to right now.” And the other thing is you are deeply cared about, even if you can’t see it or people don’t show it. People are busy; it doesn’t mean they don’t care. As an example, one young man who decided to commit suicide perhaps thinking his friends might not have cared about him, ended up, without an announcement in the newspaper or by social media, with a church filled to standing room with friends, old and young, who cared enough to come in person and say goodbye. So I fully support the message “Please do reach out to anyone, as hard as it may seem.” If you’re in Campbell River or the surrounding area, don’t be shy to come see me if you need to, like my friend and sister in healing, I don’t mind listening and helping in any way I can.

Any with that I truly wish you all the best in 2015, may your life be reflective of all your dreams to come…may you live in love, happiness and radiant health.

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For the whole month of March we will be celebrating International Women’s Day and this year’s theme is Inspiring Change. In a global effort to empower the feminine presence, we are calling to action our voices to act as one as we encourage advocacy for women’s advancement all around the world and in every way possible. Positive change starts with challenging the status quo and awakening women’s power. Not only women, but everyone should be concerned in finding ways to a balanced and caring future for all human beings.

I invite you all to join in and be a part of Inspiring Change for women’s advancement. Through the love, support and nurturing nature of the feminine presence, so much could be accomplished towards the well-being of not only the citizens of this world, but for the so desperately needed changes to the way we are running our governments and industries in order to preserve our planet for ourselves, for our children and for all those who wish to live on this Earth in a balanced and flourishing way not only now, but in the future.

Inspiring Change in International Women’s Day month is a call to action and a reminder that we are all in this together, and that equal male and female balance is what thrives under any circumstances or in any situation. By beginning to focus our intentions inwards, and then expanding them with conviction outwards, we create an environment of intention all around us that others will notice and catch on to.

Our first International Women’s Day was held in 1911 and today thousands of events take place to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. The celebration of this day extends not only to individuals, but also to organizations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women’s groups, corporations and the media.

Every year the United Nations announces an annual theme:

2014: Equality for women is progress for all

2013: A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women

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Valentine’s is coming up and it’s time to start taking care of not only your loved ones’ health, but also your own! Take it from one mother and wife who knows that life doesn’t always go as smoothly as you’d like and often everyday situations take over even the best intentions we’ve set out for ourselves that day! That feeling of wanting to get in shape again, eat better, reset our body’s natural healing mechanisms, strengthen our soul, and just plain old get rid of all the tension in our body and our lives are there, but where do you start? Next to having a personal trainer, therapist, nutritional coach and masseuse come to your home, you are kind of stuck doing it on your own.

Luckily I can provide you with all these services rolled into one. Or, if it’s just a massage you’d like, I’m here for you too, five days a week, right here in Campbell River. So If you can get yourself to my door, then you can relax and know you’re in good hands. That’s why Valentine’s is one of the most important days of the year in my opinion, because it’s one day of the year that you can focus on your heart and what you truly would love for yourself, not just for the loved ones in your life. So, when your adorable other half comes in with your breakfast tray on Valentine’s day, wouldn’t it be magical if there was also a gift certificate on it from Inner Energy Health and Wellness. A deep relaxation massage, some Reiki… sounds purrrrrrrrfect to balance your mind, body and spirit!

Inner Energy Health and Wellness has participated in the Valley-wide Anam Cara Community Health Day

A Wealth of Health!

Comox Valley residents (including Campell Riverites) were warmly invited to come and meet some of our health care professionals and choose from a wide variety of complimentary services at this seven venue event, last weekend. Reiki, acupressure, massage, Brain Dance, PSYCH-K, BodyTalk, yoga, Pilates, Qigong, and Tai Chi were just a few of the many options that were made available.

It was truly A Wealth of Health that I was lucky enough to have participated in! My contribution to all this was Shiatsu Massage and Energy Chakra balancing sessions which clients seemed to greatly need and appreciate! I’m so happy that so many of you came out despite the nasty weather on Saturday.

Watch for more FREE edu-days coming up monthly! I will keep you posted!

Some of the nearly 100 practitioners of the Anam Cara “Soul” Friends group

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I thought I’d like to share a letter with you that a client of mine recently wrote. It’s good to know that sometimes my work goes deeper than just relaxation.

All the best,

Sara Barbot

Inner Energy Health and Wellness

Dear Sara,

I want to thank you for the massage session you gave me on Saturday.

I feel that you have corrected a problem that the doctors could not diagnose and have given me back my right leg.

I have been struggling with an undiagnosed problem with my leg for 6 months. Previous to that I was healthy and fit and loved to hike and bike. For the last 6 months I have only been able to walk about a block before pain and/or cramping and swelling in my leg develops and sends me home – to the couch. It has felt like my right leg has had a life of its own. I haven’t been able to predict when it would co-ordinate efforts with the rest of my body, when it would have random cramping, knee swelling. Going down a flight of stairs was frightening because I didn’t have the control or the strength to manoeuvre. And that control was missing when attempting to sit on a chair or toilet. I had to use the “crash landing” method. Thankfully, for most of this time I have been able to ride my bike so I have maintained some leg strength.

Yesterday, the day following my session with you was the first day in months that I felt my body was complete. I walked, dug up the garden, went up and down stairs with ease and felt like my right leg was finally co-operating with the rest of my body.

Sara, your massage which seemed to combine different modes of therapy, opened up some sort of energy channels that had somehow been blocked. I am a health professional and this is not the sort of language I would normally use. But the medical system failed me where your hands and expertise have not.

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A lot of people have been asking me lately what exactly is Holistic Health and how does it apply to the average person?

Holistic Health is healing from the inside out. More than reacting to symptoms, it’s about seeking preventative measures. It is for anyone who’s tired of feeling down or sick or who wants to keep themselves healthy by taking their health into their own hands.

It is you taking responsibility for your own health, not justing sitting back and relying on a doctor or other person to make it all better.

It involves looking at the larger picture, including all aspects of your life that may have an impact on your health: emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually.

By being sensitive to your body and listening to your own patterns of emotions and behaviors you can begin to understand the effect they have on your body and organ systems.

By seeing how these emotional triggers are directly linked to physical and chemical reactions throughout your body’s systems, you can see how patterns of disharmony and disease begin to emerge.

Why Work with a Holistic Practitioner?

Different than a doctor who plays an important role in diagnosing, repairing and treating symptoms and chronic and acute conditions, a Holistic Practitioner encourages you to take charge of your own health and helps you dig a little deeper to find out exactly why that problem is happening in the first place.

Holistic Practitioners believe that patterns of emotions, as well as nutrition and environment, amongst other things, are what cause most physical conditions. We believe there is no disease, but only imbalance. Our job is to get to the root of your imbalance and correct it from there.

While a doctor will use probing, scans and some general questions to get an accurate picture of the problem, a Holistic Practitioner will use a number of techniques to find out not just what is happening, but why it is happening and how long it has been going on.

Holistic practitioners will help you take a look at your lifestyle including nutrition, exercise, toxic relationships or environments, stress, pain, etc.

What Happens in a session?

Right away you will feel welcome and cared about. Your visit will be relaxed and un-rushed. Your practitioner will sit down with you face-to-face and provide a nurturing atmosphere where you can feel safe and take your time answering questions or going over your history. As a Holistic Practitioner our job is to piece together past and present events, noticing patterns which may be linked to present imbalances.

Once the intake has been completed, you can move to the massage table where a physical exam and energy testing can be used to confirm the area and body systems involved with the imbalance.

A varying range of treatments can be used to correct imbalances, to sedate and disperse excessive energy, and to strengthen and revitalize organ systems in the body.

Treatments can focus on the physical only, including stress and pain relief; but more than likely, as well as physical, treatments will focus on emotional, behavioral and spiritual (the sense of belonging) balancing, bringing them together through Massage, Energy Medicine and Energy Psychology (the release of emotional related blockages held in the body).